Malachy O’Rourke and Ross Carr will not be the only managers from Ulster immersed in the white heat of Championship football tomorrow.

Eamon McEnaney was a key figure in the Monaghan side that blazed to National League title success in the mid-80’s, proving one of the most cultured forwards of that era.

Now, as manager of Louth, he is still very much in the spotlight but not quite enjoying the success which he tasted as a player.

Louth’s tame National League campaign has not exactly ignited confidence ahead of tomorrow’s important task against Carlow in the Leinster football championship at Parnell Park, Dublin but McEnaney is hoping that his players can rise to the occasion.

“We have to take a very positive stance for this game. It’s not going to be easy,” admits McEnaney.

The former Castleblayney Faughs player - he is a school principal there but lives in Blackrock, outside Dundalk - has been unable to deliver any level of success with Louth in the championship arena so far.

Tomorrow affords his team the opportunity to gain credibility in a Leinster Championship title race for which there is no clear favourite.

“We would obviously like to avoid the Qualifiers for as long as we possibly can,” said McEnaney pointedly.

Former Armagh player Kieran McGeeney is hoping that the Kildare side which he now manages will make a big impact in Leinster - they will meet Offaly shortly - but the plum tie is the meeting of Dublin and Meath in Croke Park on June 7 which will also host the Dublin v Antrim hurling tie.

And next week-end both Kerry and Cork will be in action in the Munster Championship when the season is cranked up, particularly with the meeting of Derry and Monaghan at Celtic Park which is currently resplendent following a major refurbishment.

Ulster Council director Danny Murphy said: “This week-end is an important one for the province and we are hoping that it will prove the forerunner to a superb Championship overall.”

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